Inflatable cushions or "air bags" as they have become to be known, involve rapidly inflating one or more "bags" with a gas to cause them to be moved out from the space in which they are normally stored and to be deployed to be able to act as a safety cushion protecting the occupants from impact with interior structure.
The opening through which the bag deploys must be securely and completely covered to prevent tampering with the system. If objects are inserted into the storage space, they could become dangerous missiles when the bag is deployed, and thus a completely sealed closure must be provided for the opening.
The closure must open very reliably thoughout the range of temperature and other operating conditions of the passenger car in which it is installed, while not interfering appreciably with the deployment of the bag.
The closure should desirably provide a positive indication that the closure has been opened by the deployment of the bag.
Finally, the closure must be simple and lightweight to be reliable and able to be moved rapidly by the inflating bag.